Business
Ten Discontinued Food Items We Miss Part 2
One day, you poured yourself a bowl of your favorite cereal, completely unaware that it would be the last time you would ever get to taste it, as its production was, quite rudely, coming to an end. It’s the oldest story in the snack-food book. One day, certain food items are available in stores everywhere, the next, they’re nowhere to be found. In case you’ve forgotten about some of the great foods you used to eat before they were discontinued, we’re here to jog your memory. Prepare for a nostalgia-filled journey through ten more discontinued food items we miss.
10. Oreo Sippers
Oreo has come out with a plethora of flavors of their classic cream-filled cookie, but what are more interesting are the dozens of variations they’ve created in a series of different shapes and sizes. One of these innovative creations is Oreo Sippers, or, as they’re known colloquially, Oreo straws. These tube-shaped cookies have the traditional chocolate wafer wrapped around an inner layer of cream. The rolled cookies can be eaten as a snack or used as a straw through which you can sip your milk (well, it doesn’t technically have to be milk, but if you’re pairing your Oreos with any other drink, you’re committing some sort of culinary sin). Oreo Sippers really took the whole milk-and-cookies relationship to a whole other level, making them a favorite among children everywhere. A fan of this particular cookie posted on the Oreo Facebook page in 2013, asking about the fate of Oreo Sippers. Oreo confirmed they had in fact been discontinued but promised to pass along the message that they were being sought after. Since this happened several years ago and nothing seems to have been done, things aren’t really looking good for Oreo Sippers. However, Oreo did bring back their beloved cereal, Oreo O’s in 2018, after years of it being discontinued, so we shouldn’t give up on these cookies just yet.
9. Mr. T Cereal
This sugary breakfast cereal, made principally of corn and oats, could be enjoyed by anyone with a sweet tooth, whether or not they were a fan of the hit TV-show, The A-Team. The show in question aired from 1983 to 1987, with the cereal being released in 1984 and riding the show’s popularity for the rest of the decade. Its taste has been compared to that of Cap’n Crunch cereal, and the individual pieces were in the shape of the letter T. In order to further market their product to children, the Quaker Oats Company added a prize to the cereal – a select few were lucky enough to find a package of Mr. T stickers at the bottom of the box. Despite being a pop-culture reference in itself, the cereal made many appearances in the media throughout the ’80s. Probably the most famous of these was its cameo in film Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, during which the titular character, Pee Wee Herman, pours the cereal over his pancakes and eggs and does a pretty great impression of Mr. T himself. Since it was geared towards children, many people grew up on Mr. T Cereal, and it’s probably safe to say that they pity the fool who thought it was a good idea to discontinue this cereal.
8. Yogos
Today, Kellogg’s fruit flavored snack is sorely missed by many. Who would have thought that these small, yogurt-covered spheres would trigger such nostalgia? It’s crazy to think that children today might not even know what Yogos are, let alone have tasted them. There were a few different versions of Yogos released during their glory days, including the original Yogos, Yogos Bits, and Yogos Sour Bits, all of which came in many different fruit flavors. They made for the perfect snack, as it was easy to grab a packet and eat them on the go. However, it’s probably important to note that there was a bit of plausible deniability going on when it came to the unhealthiness of Yogos. While their bright colors made them look like nothing more than candy, the fact that they contain yogurt made it socially acceptable to eat them at anytime of day, including early in the morning. It might be for the best, then, that these snacks have been discontinued since this probably isn’t what nutritionists are talking about when they recommend a balanced breakfast. We never really got an answer as to why Kellogg’s stopped producing Yogos, but the people who grew up eating them have a lot to say on the matter. You might be surprised at just how many online petitions there are calling for the return of this particular product. Odds are that nothing will come from it, but you’ve got to appreciate the dedication.
7. Character Face Ice Cream Pops
Ice cream is one of the most universally beloved desserts, and whoever had the revolutionary idea to put it on a popsicle stick completely revolutionized the snack food sphere. There’s nothing better than ice cream on a summer’s day, and ice cream pops are not only portable, but they save you the trouble of doing dishes afterwards. Typically, ice cream bars look pretty generic, often nothing more than a chocolate covered rectangle. That’s where these particular bars differed. As the name implies, Character Face Ice Cream Pops were made to look like the faces of popular fictional characters, such as Tweety Bird, Sonic the Hedgehog, Scooby-Doo, and a variety of superheroes. In theory, these sound pretty cool, but the execution was, well, to put it bluntly, terrifying. If they happened to melt, the characters’ faces became warped and contorted into things of nightmares. It also didn’t help that their eyes were made of some sort of gummy that no one really liked anyways, which only served to make them look even more demented. They popped up everywhere throughout the nineties, and many adults today have memories of enjoying (or being mildly disturbed) by them. If some of you can no longer look at your favorite cartoon characters the same way, we don’t blame you. These treats are definitely missed less for their taste, and more for the entertainment factor.
6. Reese’s Peanut Butter and Banana Creme
Peanut butter and banana are an iconic duo, so if Reese’s was going to incorporate fruit into one of their chocolate and peanut butter candies (which, if we’re being honest, is a pretty weird concept), it makes sense for it to be that one. This is what they did in 2007, when they released a special edition Reese’s cup, the Peanut Butter and Banana Creme. While the use of banana more or less makes sense, the decision to go with banana creme seems very retro. However, there’s a good reason for that. This particular candy was produced a tribute to the King himself, Elvis Presley. It was Elvis’ famous love for peanut butter and banana sandwiches that inspired the creation of this treat, and each package purchased gave you the chance to win a special Elvis-themed prize, including a replica of his famous pink Cadillac. It’s a shame that this candy was doomed from the start, as it was always meant to be a limited edition. However, it would be wonderful to see Reese’s incorporate banana into their peanut butter cups again in the future, since they really do go together well. The good thing about Reese’s Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Cups is that you can find many DIY replicas of the recipe online. So, if you find yourself missing this treat, or if you never got the chance to try it but think it sounds pretty incredible, definitely try your hand at making some Peanut Butter and Banana Creme bars. Or, if you’re not one to be trusted in the kitchen, enlist a friend or family member with some decent baking skills to handle the preparation. These sound so good that they probably won’t need much more convincing other than a promise that they get to keep some for themselves.
5. Thingamajig Chocolate Bar
Sometimes, all you want is some plain milk chocolate to satisfy your cravings. Other times, you’re in the mood for something a little more out there. One candy bar that fits the latter description perfectly is Hershey’s Thingamajig chocolate bar. Not to be confused with the Whatchamacallit bar, which is another Hershey’s creation. If it wasn’t enough for their names to be easily confused, the two chocolate bars actually do have a lot in common, which is something that may have been a factor in Hershey’s making the decision to discontinue the Thingamajig. The Thingamajig bar had everything going for it. It had a little crunch, it had a little saltiness, and, most importantly, it had a whole lot of chocolate. Inside, you would find a mixture of Rice Krispies and milk chocolate, which was topped with peanut butter. Then, the whole thing was covered in a thick layer of milk chocolate. For whatever reason, the Thingamajig chocolate bar never quite caught on in mainstream popularity. Maybe it was just too similar to the Whatchamacallit bar. Whatever the reason, production of this chocolate bar was stopped many years ago. On the bright side, there’s no shortage of chocolate bars out there, so even if this particular one has been taken off the shelves, there’s no need to go without.
4. Starburst Fruit Twists
Starburst is one of the most popular candies on the market. Many people would sell a kidney to get their hands on a couple pink ones. While the original Starburst candy will always be their superior product, they’ve dabbled in other realms, having released Starburst chewing gum, gummy candies and even, weirdly enough, candy corn. In the late 1990’s, they came out with Starburst Fruit Twists, which are yet another entry on this list to spark intense nostalgia in nineties kids. Combining the classic Starburst fruit flavors with the look and texture of Twizzlers, Starburst Fruit Twists gave candy lovers the best of both worlds. The window of opportunity to try this candy was unfortunately pretty small, as they were discontinued a few years after their release, apparently due to poor sales. In 2006, Twizzlers Rainbow Twists were released. These are essentially the same thing as Starburst Fruit Twists, but many hardcore Starburst fans will argue that their flavor is mediocre, and not comparable to the that of the Starburst brand Twists. But if you’re more of a casual candy lover, they make for a nice alternative. At the very least, there are plenty of other kinds of Starburst candies out there, so it’s not like the amazing flavor of Fruit Twists has been completely lost.
3. Doo-Dads Snack Mix
Sure, Bits & Bites are great, but can we all just take a minute to mourn the loss of Doo-Dads Snack Mix? It was the ultimate party mix and made for the perfect after school snack or Sunday night football viewing companion. This particular food item had a relatively long lifespan, being released sometime in the sixties, and only getting pulled in the nineties. All in all, not too shabby, especially when compared to a lot of the other entries on this list, many of which were discontinued after only a handful of years. However, that doesn’t do much to soften the blow of it being discontinued. In fact, it made it all the more painful. This snack mix consisted of pretzels (as any self-respecting snack mix should), toasted peanuts, rice squares, wheat squares and cheese Tid-Bit Crackers. The latter ingredient became so popular, that they were eventually sold separately as their own snack, in addition to being included in Doo-Dads Snack Mix. The reasoning behind its discontinuation is that there were just too many chips, party mixes and crackers being released in the nineties for it to compete with. The real shame is that none of those other snacks ever managed to fill the hole left in our hearts by Doo-Dads Snack Mix. It’s hard to enjoy your Chex Mix when you know that in an alternate timeline, you could be munching on Doo-Dads Snack Mix instead.
2. Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies
Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies is probably one of the most extra cereals to grace the breakfast aisle, purely by nature of its name. Regular Rice Krispies could never. Okay, to be fair, these aren’t actually that different from the original Rice Krispies cereal at all. Essentially, the individual pieces are rainbow colored, and, according to the tagline on the box, they have a “lightly sweetened taste.” But even if the recipe doesn’t really deviate that much from the original, the box depicts Snap, Crackle and Pop wearing sunglasses, which objectively makes this cereal ten time cooler. It’s too bad that Kellogg’s doesn’t sell these anymore, as homemade Rice Krispies treats made using this cereal would probably come out pretty amazing. When it comes to food items being discontinued, cereal seems to be the prime target. Seriously, we could make a whole list dedicated to discontinued cereals we miss. So, if Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies were once your favorite breakfast food, know that there are many people out there who know your struggle. Fans of Mr. T Cereal, French Toast Crunch and Waffle Crisp really do get it.
1. Hershey’s Bar None
Let’s flashback to 1987. It was a simpler, happier time. Dirty Dancing wasn’t the only masterpiece that was released that year. That was the year Hershey’s Bar None chocolate bar hit shelves. Now, if anything is to be learned from the story of this chocolate bar it’s that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Or else your product will be discontinued before the decade is out. Well at least that’s what happened to Hershey’s Bar None chocolate bar. From the outside in, the original iteration of Bar None consisted of a coating of milk chocolate, a layer of crushed peanuts, and milk chocolate flavored wafers with a chocolate cream filling. This was a chocolate bar that did everything right. It was heavenly. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. In 1992, Hershey’s decided to revamp Bar None and, needless to say, it didn’t exactly go well. They split the bar in two, which they probably would have gotten away with, if they hadn’t also decided to add caramel. There was already a lot going on in the original recipe, so adding a whole other component (and a not-so-subtle one at that) was probably the wrong move. And so began the demise of a once beloved chocolate bar. By the late 90s, Hershey’s Bar None was nowhere to be found.